Giving Meaning to the Subject: The Influence of Interdisciplinary Interventions on the Subjective Task Values of Biology and PE

Over many years of research, a decline in interest over the school years is repeatedly described. To address this decline, the value of content or a specific subject should be promoted. To increase content relevance, task value interventions can be conducted which are related to the theory of subjective task values by Wigfield & Eccles (2020). These values consist of intrinsic, attainment, and utility value. Due to its constructivist character, interdisciplinary interventions may meet preconditions to promote interest and could initiate situational interest and influence subject-specific values (e.g., utility value). The present study investigates whether and to what extent interdisciplinary interventions in biology and physical education influence the development of interest. A total of 73 students (mean age = 17.7 years) from four secondary schools took part in a one-day interdisciplinary intervention called "learning through movement," which combined physical education and biology. The intervention was accompanied by a modified quantitative questionnaire based on pre-described subjective task values. Mixed ANOVAs with repeated measures showed that the interdisciplinary intervention positively influenced situational intrinsic and utility values for both physical education and biology. By examining potential interaction effects, it was found that students with a low initial situational interest were positively affected by the intervention. Our study supports the notion that interdisciplinary interventions have an impact on subjective task values in biology and physical education and therefore have the potential to influence interest development, especially for lower interested students

Hands-on science for recently immigrated students. Possibilities for language acquisition and motivation for science

Schmiedebach M, Wegner C. Hands-on science for recently immigrated students. Possibilities for language acquisition and motivation for science. Nordic Studies in Science Education (NorDiNa). 2019;15(01):22-37

The Effects of Using Living Sea Animals on the Student’s Emotional States

Wegner C, Tonnesmann N. The Effects of Using Living Sea Animals on the Student’s Emotional States. Frontiers in Education Technology. 2018;1(2):119-136

The Effects of Using Living Sea Animals on the Student’s Emotional States

Using living animals in school lessons makes it possible for students to have an emotionally charged learning experience. With the example of Thornback rays (Raja clavata), the emotional affects of sea animals on students are investigated. Theoretical aspects can be found in the explanation of activity-oriented teaching, which is organised holistically and student-active. The preparation for and confrontation with the thornback ray was successfully adjusted to the individual needs of the students. The students collectively worked on research issues and the ray was presented as a research object. Besides the emotional adventures of touching a living ray, the students took notes of the most important growth characteristics of the ray. Hence the students encounter the ray as a living animal on different levels. To check the hypotheses of how a living animal influences the students’ emotional state, the PANAS questionnaire is applied. PANAS serves as a snap-shot of the students’ emotional state. Whilst there are no differences found concerning the negative affects, the positive affects show a significant difference between a lesson with and a lesson without a real object. If the lesson comprises a real object, the item attentive is chosen significantly more often than in a lesson without real objects. Additionally, the data was analysed with a t-test, whereat the students in the framework of an activity-oriented lesson show significantly more positive affects compared to a lesson without real objects. The study gives a comprehensive insight into the different emotions of students when confronting them with a real object

Bridging the gap between theory and practice

Introduction to part one of the special issue, "Bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Bridging the gap between theory and practice with the dual-focus approach of Design-Based-Research

Introduction to part two of the special issue, "Bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Enhancing subject-specific interests through interdisciplinary teaching units

Due to its constructivist nature, interdisciplinary teaching appears ideal for increasing students' interests in subjects (Brassler, 2020; Kramer & Wegner, 2021). Although many argue in favor of a more comprehensive implementation of interdisciplinary teaching in schools, many practical barriers arise during the realization that need to be resolved following the design-based research approach (DBR) (Kramer & Wegner, 2022b). Especially at the upper secondary school level, implementation seems to be difficult. The question arises of how interdisciplinary instruction can be usefully implemented in the upper grades. As a first potential solution, interdisciplinary project days were developed in the subject combination of biology and physical education and evaluated with the help of an initial study. The prototypes developed increased both students’ situational interests and their perceptions of the utility value of the subjects involved (Kramer & Wegner, 2021; 2022a). However, the implementation process could be optimized, as it currently depends on reducing other school subjects. Therefore, following the iterative cycle of DBR, a new prototype was developed involving interdisciplinary units within the regular subject lessons. The second prototype was empirically evaluated with a control-group design. In contrast to the first prototype, only descriptive trends were found, indicating that the interdisciplinary units trigger situational interest and stabilize individual interest. However, this cannot be supported statistically. Due to a high data dropout, the sample size should be increased, and the trends should be further investigated. In terms of practical feasibility, the second prototype has an advantage as it does not require any cancellation of subject lessons. However, implementing a second subject may reduce the time available for subject-specific content

Becoming Proficient through Profile Classes: A Longitudinal Study on the Development of Scientific Competencies

The first educational goal within scientific subjects is to acquire a sense of scientific literacy. In science lessons, methods of scientific inquiry provide the tools to achieve this. In this study, we based scientific inquiry on the SDDS-Model according to Klahr (2002). It is divided into three subareas: Search Hypothesis Space, Test Hypothesis, and Evaluate Hypothesis. A multiple-choice test, the NAW-test, was used to examine the extent to which the acquisition of competencies is promoted by attending Profile Classes. In contrast to common practice in Germany, scientific Profile Classes take an interdisciplinary approach to scientific subjects, with the aim to promote the acquisition of scientific competencies. For this purpose, Profile Class students (N=84) at two schools were questioned over the course of a school year at three different test times. Results show that competencies increase over time. A gender difference was not observe

The Big-Five-Personality and Academic Self-Concept in Gifted and Non-Gifted Students. A Systematic Review of Literature

Peperkorn C, Wegner C. The Big-Five-Personality and Academic Self-Concept in Gifted and Non-Gifted Students. A Systematic Review of Literature. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES). 2020;6(4):649-667.Gifted students provide interesting opportunities for careers in all professional areas. To benefit from that chance, the promotion of gifted students moves more and more into focus of educational research and becomes an important facet of today’s teachers’ professional competencies. To meet these requirements, teacher training courses must be offered which are based on current state of research. This article presents a systematic literature review which investigates the current research state regarding quantitative studies of gifted students’ personality and self-concept. To assess a comparable state of research about the personality of gifted students the Big-Five model of personality was considered as a criterion for admission. A total of 40 quantitative studies was included. Results for personality of gifted students show that there are only a few studies which deliver comparable and valid data. Gifted students’ academic self-concept seems well researched, but indications of a multilayered subject specific academic self-concept receive little attention. Recommendations include a higher focus on students gifted in specific subjects, to find valid implications for their individual promotion